Your Apple Watch is about to get its biggest upgrade yet. After being in beta testing since June this year, watchOS 10 is ready for its public release.
With revamped system apps, widget support, and a focus on Mental Health, watchOS 10 will transform how you use your Apple Watch.
Before installing watchOS 10 on your Apple Watch, ensure your iPhone is on iOS 17. Once you have installed the update on your Apple Watch, check out the most significant changes in watchOS 10 below to help you get started.
1. Redesigned system apps
Apple has redesigned almost all watchOS system apps to take advantage of the bigger display. They now stretch from one corner of the screen to another for a more immersive experience. The World Clock app uses dynamic background colors to reflect the time of the day. Similarly, the Activity app uses bright color backgrounds for a more modern and attractive look.
Another major usability improvement is the ability to bring up the Control Centre from any app by pressing the side button.
Photo: Apple
2. Widgets and Smart Stack
Taking a cue from iOS 15, Apple has introduced widgets to watchOS 10. Rotate the Digital Crown to bring up a Smart Stack of widgets, which enables you to see key information at a glance. The watch will automatically show the widgets you use the most. With a long press, you can customize this list and add widgets with your favorite complications.
3. Focus on Mental Health
watchOS 10 heavily focuses on your mental well-being. You can log your state of mind through your Apple Watch with helpful visualizations to note your feelings. There are also new complications to help you with this. All the recorded data is viewable from your iPhone’s Health app and can help you correlate your mental health with factors like sleep and exercise.
4. Offline Maps
With watchOS 10, you can download Apple Maps for offline use on your iPhone or Apple Watch. This ensures you can navigate unknown cities or places even when your iPhone is not connected to a mobile network. Do note that your Apple Watch must be connected to an iPhone to load offline maps.
5. Enhanced Workout Tracking
Photo: Apple
The Workout app gets even better in watchOS 10. You can start a cycling workout on your watch, which will appear as a Live Activity on the paired iPhone. This is particularly useful if you place your iPhone on a phone holder while cycling. Additionally, when your Apple Watch detects a power meter, it will estimate the Functional Threshold Power, letting you better judge your performance and how to improve it.
There are plenty of other improvements in watchOS 10 that will further elevate your experience. This includes Group FaceTime audio calls, Elevation view in the Compass app, NameDrop support, Lockdown Mode, and Palette and Snoopy watch faces. And the best part is that despite the OS being such a big update, Apple has not dropped support for any of the older models. watchOS 10 works with Apple Watch Series 4 and newer models.
